10.may.2010 Learning at La Casa de Panchita, by Elizabeth

Este post fue escrito especialmente por Elizabeth Graber, quien ha sido voluntaria de La Casa de Panchita entre febrero y abril de este año, ayudando en diversas actividades: apoyó en la agencia de empleos y en la capacitación laboral, dio algunas clases de inglés, hizo encuestas en colegios nocturnos, entre otros. Ella llegó a  Perú interesada en saber comó La Casa de Panchita protege los derechos de las trabajadoras del hogar, y ahora regresa a Estados Unidos a estudiar Derecho en la Northwestern University con el compromiso de seguir apoyándonos desde allá. Thanks for all and good luck, Elizabeth!

For domestic workers in Lima, La Casa de Panchita is overflowing with resources to improve self-esteem and empowerment in the workplace: theater classes, a social worker, a lawyer, sexual education programs for child workers, an honest employment agency, and even karaoke. While volunteering at La Casa de Panchita for the past two months, I was lucky to experience many aspects of the organization and see first hand how the comprehensive programming effectively improves the lives of domestic workers in the area.

On my first day of volunteering, I attended a training session on the laws protecting domestic workers in Peru. The participants, all women from teenagers to advanced age, engaged in conversations about their rights to a salary and benefits that often are ignored or undervalued by employers. Preparing to study human rights law this fall, I was excited to learn about strategies that La Casa de Panchita uses to empower workers. First, the trainers ensure that the women learn exactly what rights they are entitled to. Then, they seek to improve self-confidence and encourage the women to stand up for their rights.

Once they complete a week-long training on the law, self-esteem, cooking, interviewing and more, the women are ready to work with the Casa’s employment agency, where I volunteered many afternoons updating the database. Entering data on each worker and employer, I could see the staff’s dedication to finding a good match for both sides that also ensured a just placement, where the worker’s rights came first and foremost.

Finding this type of match in the greater community, however, is not always easy. When workers find themselves in compromising situations and are unable to resolve disputes about benefits, salary or other hardships on their own, the Casa’s lawyer and social worker are on-hand to help facilitate a positive outcome. I spent a number of days observing the lawyer and learning about legal remedies that can help workers realize their rights – first writing a letter demanding payment of benefits or salary, and then turning to mediation with the government’s labor agency or filing a lawsuit as necessary.

In addition to services in-house, staff and volunteers also reach out into the community to identify child domestic workers attending night school and engage them in programming about workers’ rights and sexual education. I spent my final few weeks traveling throughout the city to various colegios, giving out questionnaires and talking with students about where they worked and whether they found themselves in a good situation.

In just two months, I worked with many key aspects of La Casa de Panchita’s program and developed a strong understanding of how it meets success. By simultaneously addressing multiple challenges faced by domestic workers in Lima, it effectively provides support and relief for women and youth in need. And for an eager volunteer, looking to learn and help wherever needed, it clearly has it all. Muchas gracias!

Elizabeth Graber, volunteer